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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Pikes Peak Challenge: A little humor, and those famous donuts

Along the way, by reading up on the Barr Trail and hiking '14er' mountains like Pikes Peak, I've collected great advice. Some of it has been really humorous as well.

From the Pikes Peak homepage (yep, the mountain has a website), regarding safety on the trail: For your own safety, it's best not to feed wild life. Mammals may have fleas that carry diseases like the bubonic plague. Also, ground squirrels may accidentally bite the hand that feeds them.

I definitely don't want to get the bubonic plague next weekend, so I guess I'll skip handing out snacks to critters along the way.

From Celebrazio, via a suggested pack list for hiking a '14er': Small daypack: 2000-3000 cu in. minimum for summit attempt. Fanny pack also a consideration.

I would love to see my sister's reaction if I brought a fanny pack on this hike.

And thanks to the Colorado Guy, I am now mentally prepared for the very end of the hike:

I was warned about the 16 Golden Stairs, but as painful and steep as they were, by then I had some adrenaline going because I knew the hike was almost over. By the way, I counted the switchbacks to the top and I it wasn't 16 ... it was more like 27 or 28 staircases. ;)

And finally, though this will be a strenuous 13+ mile hike covering 7,400 vertical feet, there is a shop at the summit house that sells donuts. This is America, after all.

I wish I could have homemade pizza on top of a mountain. Usually, I go with a PB & J...even though it doesn't have quite the same appeal as pizza, it always hits the spot. Just for the record, Pikes Peak also sells fudge at that gift shop. You can never go wrong with fudge consumption after a 13 mile hike! :)

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Welcome! I'm Laura, a proud Milwaukeean, working in the music / live entertainment industry. When I'm not rocking out on the job, I enjoy running, classes at the gym, and relaxing via kitchen experiments.